Bang! Bang! Clang!
As night fell, Houma lit a roaring bonfire, casting bright light across the empty space beside the chapel. With everything prepared and planned, he began building the bathhouse step by step.
This was destined to be a sleepless night for Nash. Though he didn't say it out loud, he had been deeply moved by Asta's unyielding spirit. That never-give-up attitude had seeped into him, subtly influencing him. Sometimes, he truly envied Asta , someone who couldn't even use magic, yet had grown up facing endless ridicule and mockery. And still, he lived each day with unwavering optimism, never once giving up on his dreams.
"Dreams..."
"Such a distant and unreachable thing..."
Tears rolled down Nash's cheeks. Could orphans like them really dare to dream?
Whenever he remembered the mocking, pitying gazes from the nobles and rich kids of the city, his heart would shrink. He didn't even dare think about dreaming. Instead, he numbed himself, pretending not to care about anything, hiding in a protective shell he built around his heart. But deep down… he wasn't content at all!
The Next Morning — Dawn.
Houma lay lazily on the ground, shirtless, his lean but well-trained body slick with sweat. A blade of unknown grass dangled from his lips as sweat , the sweat of youth , streamed down his forehead and back.
He had done it!
Before him stood a five-meter-tall bathhouse, covering a full hundred square meters of land.
Inside, he had divided the building into male and female sections. The central divider was made from the thickest wood, three meters thick, and each section had a custom-built wooden bathtub for every child.
From today on, he could finally use healing potions externally to strengthen his body properly!
Rubbing his empty stomach, Houma grinned. The sheer amount of work he'd done through the night had drained him. He could probably eat twenty grilled fish right now.
He quickly headed to the riverside, set up a fire, and began grilling fish while fishing. After filling his stomach, the villagers started waking up one by one. Houma, meanwhile, began handstand-walking his way back to the chapel , full of energy.
"That kid from the chapel really is something!"
"Way livelier than my own children, that's for sure."
The villagers, honest and kind-hearted folk, had always treated the chapel's orphans with goodwill and often donated supplies over the years.
Soon, the priest and the others walked outside , and were completely stunned by what they saw.
"God... my face stings…" the priest muttered, squinting and stretching his neck. That kid had actually built it? This wasn't some kind of illusion, was it? He rushed to the bathhouse. The sliding door opened smoothly. Inside, dozens of bathtubs lined the wooden floor.
Tears welled up in the old priest's eyes.
Asta... he'd really done it. He'd finally made something of himself!
"Sister Lily! Asta really built us a bathhouse!"
Laika's eyes sparkled like stars. There's no resisting the allure of a hot bath for a little girl. And now, she had her very own personal bathtub. No more sharing!
"He really did it… he really did it…"
Nash stood frozen. A task he thought was absolutely impossible , something a magicless orphan couldn't possibly do , had actually been accomplished by Asta. His entire body trembled, as if something inside him was slowly breaking apart…
"Nash," Houma said, pausing as he walked by. "Being laughed at when you chase your dreams isn't what makes you a disgrace. What's truly shameful , is not even having the courage to face your dreams."
Nash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. After a long pause, he looked up, eyes sharp.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! What's more humiliating than being mocked for aiming too high? Asta , when people laugh at you for dreaming of becoming the Magic Emperor, don't you feel even a little ashamed? You can't even use magic!"
"So what?!"
Houma suddenly leaned in, inches from Nash's face.
"You think a real man gives a damn about being laughed at? I can lose in magic, lose in height, lose in background , but the one thing I will never lose in… is effort!
Have you ever tasted the juice of the Shadeleaf plant? That bitter, gag-inducing taste, like raw gourd , I drink it like it's nothing. Even if it costs me my life, I'll leave behind proof that I lived as a man! I won't hide my dreams in some numb, cowardly shell!"
"Remember this, Nash: If you don't even believe in yourself, then your hard work has no value. If you lack that much confidence , how are you going to defy fate?"
With that, Houma walked away, leaving behind a figure that seemed impossibly tall and proud in Nash's eyes.
And his words didn't just shake Nash , they hit Yuno like a thunderclap too.
"That's the feeling. That fiery, unstoppable drive , the will to fight and grow no matter what."
"Asta... he always gives people hope."
Yuno clenched his fists. This was what his destined rival was supposed to be like.
Houma's words struck Nash like a divine awakening. At first dazed, his gaze slowly sharpened with newfound resolve.
"Asta-nii... Please let me train with you!"
Nash suddenly bowed deeply. Tears streamed from his eyes.
He wanted to burn with youth, just like Asta. He didn't want to live inside his shell anymore!
"Good." Houma smirked. "Finish your breakfast, then come find me at Skull Cave. We'll burn with youth together!"
The corners of his mouth lifted. To turn someone like Nash , a moody kid like Nara Shikamaru , into someone like Rock Lee, brimming with passion and drive… now that was a real achievement!